Kingdom
by sharingank
Summary: From the day they met, the construction of their kingdom began...A day on the beach can change everything... AyumuHiyono oneshot.


Well, I have been inspired to write yet another Ayumu/Hiyono, because…they are so much fun to write about. XD

Thank you so much to those who reviewed my first Spiral fic! I appreciated it (and I'm not adverse to reviews on this one…hehehe).

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**Kingdom**

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If anyone were to ask, he could not say why he invited her here, because the answer eluded even his astute brain. When it got right down to it, he had no overt desire to probe his motives for punching in her number and hitting 'send,' one part of him hoping that she would pick up, the other convinced that this seemingly innocent action would cause more trouble than he needed at the moment.

His mental wrestling match concluded when she picked up. She always picked up when his number flashed across the screen, and they both knew it.

"Narumi-san?"

He winced involuntarily. "Yeah." _I shouldn't have called…_

"What's up? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

It never ceased to amaze him how her voice could manage to sound concerned and bubbly at the same time, as if she were programmed to a state of perpetual cheerfulness, and all other emotions were side effects. When they became involved with the Blade Children and their plight, she courted death on many occasions, however mortal peril did not so much as ruffle her feathers in the slightest. On the contrary, she thrived off of the adrenaline rush that accompanied such encounters, and insisted he take her along with him no matter how dangerous the situation.

He could have told her no, demanded that she stay out of his life and out of his business, but he didn't.

"I'm fine," he said, running a hand through his longish brown hair. He would need to get it cut soon. It was taking on a personality of its own.

"Oh," she seemed relieved, but suspicious. "Where are you, Narumi-san? Are you outside someplace? I hear a lot of…scratchiness."

"I'm at the ocean." He really ought to get his hair cut…

"The ocean?"

Without seeing her, he knew, perhaps by instinct, that she had her head cocked to the side, one of her eyebrows arched.

The mental image almost invited a smile, though it declined at the last moment, lips twitching instead.

"Mmm."

She breathed an exasperated sigh. "And you're there alone, I assume. Narumi-san has a habit of isolating himself, I've noticed."

Another quirk of the mouth, though his brows snapped together. Coming from her, the observation made him feel as though he were a spoiled child who scorned the company of average members of the human race. She had a tendency to show him aspects of himself that he did not particularly care for just by talking, whether she realized she was doing it or not.

"I guess I wasted my time then. Sorry I bothered you."

He made to shut off the phone, albeit slowly, since he really had no desire to hang up, and she did not disappoint him.

"You push that button, and you'll regret it."

She could be so predictable sometimes…but so could he. Or maybe they were only predictable to each other?

That was a possibility he chose not to think about.

"I am alone," he confirmed, eyes fixed on the lazy lap of water against the shore, trying to disregard the sudden flutter in his stomach.

He wanted her to come. He didn't want to sit on the beach, the sun on his face, the sand between his toes, alone.

No, not just alone. He could have called anyone, but he called her.

It had to be her.

"I'll be there in a few, okay? Don't you dare go away! Just…stay where you are. I'll bring lunch."

Now that was a surprise.

"Did you fall and hit your head?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always steal _my _lunch. It's not normal for you to be the one to bring something edible."

There was a pause as she tapped her chin with a finger, most likely trying to decide how to respond to him.

"I'll stop at the grocery and pick something up," she said, "so I guess it'll be longer than a few minutes. Ten, at the most. Remember, don't go anywhere!"

He stared at the phone long after it went dead, the salty scent of brine permeating the air and making him feel slightly sluggish.

"I shouldn't have called her," he whispered, a lie contradicted by the smile that finally ventured out of hiding. "I'm an idiot."

He understood why she was going to the grocery, despite the fact that she didn't come out and state a reason.

Most of her cooking could hardly be considered edible.

* * *

"Hmm…"

Hiyono weaved through the various isles at the grocery store, pausing here and there when she spotted a promising item, and her tiny basket was already crammed to the brim. There was just so much to pick from, and her tastes were very broad. Besides, she was positive Narumi-san hadn't tried many of her selections before; it was her civic duty to introduce him to such wonders as Cheez-Its and strawberry-swirl bunt cake!

"Oh, how cute!"

She tossed a package of miniature hot-dogs on the mountain of food, not quite taking into account that she might have some difficulty preparing miniature hot-dogs on a beach.

Hiyono could be that way every now and then.

"I hope Narumi-san stays put," she remarked as she rifled through containers of lunchmeat for the honey-roasted variety of turkey, which was her favorite. "Though I think he will. He wouldn't have called me if he didn't want company."

Turkey in hand, she examined her bulging basket, and could have sworn she almost heard it groan at the idea of having to make room for yet another resident.

Laughing, she said, "I guess that's enough," and got in line at one of the registers to pay.

She was glad that Narumi-san called her, to be honest. It was a gorgeous day, hot, but not muggy, and the sun was out. This was the type of day to spend out of doors with friends, enjoying the weather and each other.

Though she saw him yesterday—she saw him practically every day—she did like being with Narumi-san, very much, in fact. Quiet and reserved on his own, she learned fast how to get him to open up, resorting to some downright dirty tactics when he wasn't in the chatty mood—which was often.

He was a project she refused to give up on, though she never told him that. It was her secret, and it would stay that way, partially because she knew he wouldn't like being considered a 'project' and partially because she was afraid of what would happen to their relationship if she revealed her intentions of staying close to him as long as it took for her to _know_ everything about him…

A lifetime, in blunt, layman's terms.

How many eighteen-year-olds were ready to commit their heart and soul to another person for a lifetime?

Not Narumi-san…

_Not me, either. _

She reached the front of the line, and waited for the cashier to ring up her groceries, pushing her thoughts aside for the moment.

Their oppressive weight crushed her.

She left the store with a much lighter wallet, carrying five plastic bags, and wishing fervently that she had taken her car instead of walking. The beach wasn't too far, fortunately, however it was far enough on foot to provide her mind with the opportunity to wander in one direction she'd rather avoid.

_But I can't avoid it. I'm headed toward it right now, aren't I?_

Irony was a cruel mistress when her claws were out.

"Ayu…"

She did know his name. Like a lover, she whispered it into her pillow before she went to sleep, a gentle caress in the dark. Oh yes, she and his name were intimate friends. The way it sounded when it rolled off her tongue, erotic, strangely sensual, sent shivers dancing up her spine, and made her wonder if he ever said _her_ name like that, when the stars were painted on their canvas…

It was so silly, the way they still hadn't resorted to using given names yet. They'd known each other for nearly three years, and spent most of those years together in one way or another. Granted, it was not always just she and he. Occasionally, Eyes or Kousuke or Rio or Ryouko would join them, and she had a feeling Narumi-san didn't want to give them any ideas.

But when they were alone, it shouldn't have mattered, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why it did. She had a few theories, of course—he didn't want to get too close to her, so he did not use her name to distance himself; he wasn't interested all, but he talked to her to keep her happy; deep down, he loved her so much it frightened him, and he couldn't bring himself to take that step…

Funny how an individual can apply her own problems to someone else…

It made reality less real.

The salt tang of the ocean hovered in the air; she was close.

Three years was a long time to stew over her feelings, more than enough to see them for what they were, to recognize them as part of herself, a part that could not be torn asunder, lest leave behind a raw, gaping hole where her heart should be.

She loved him, every square, intangible inch.

Gulls coasted through the sky, wings outstretched, chattering to their fellows…

She loved him.

When the gravel gave way to sand, she peered about for the telltale brown hair.

There it was. He sat near the coast, where the sand was still dry, though if he stretched his foot out, the waves could just touch it.

He stayed, like she knew he would.

She loved him.

"Narumi-san!" She called, and tried raising her arm to wave at him, but the bags prevented her.

He turned his head, sunlight glinting off of his deep brown eyes, a bewildered expression on his face.

"How much did you buy?" He shouted back, getting to his feet and dusting off sand. "It's only me and you!"

She smiled. "I know! I'm hungry!"

One of his eyebrows shot up, and he shook his head, slogging through the sand to help her. He really hadn't expected anything else from Hiyono, especially since she went into the grocery store unaccompanied. The girl had a bottomless stomach, which did not explain how she managed to maintain her flawless figure. Ryouko in particular commented often about how unfair it was for Hiyono to eat as much as she did and not gain an ounce; Ayumu figured it had something to do with her boundless stores of energy, though he kept his opinion to himself. Merely commenting on her…spiritedness…usually made her even more hyper, and he could only handle that at brief increments.

When he reached her, he took three of the bags off her hands, somewhat surprised at how heavy they were.

"What's in here, bricks?" he grunted, manfully hitching up the bags as they headed back to the spot he claimed.

She giggled. _He's so cute._ "You know, I've tried a lot of exotic foods in my day, but I haven't had the chance to sample bricks. I think they'd be hard on the teeth, don't you?"

He made an indelicate noise, blowing a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. Why did he allow it to grow this long, anyway? It was such a nuisance… "Yeah, yeah."

As if she read his mind, her eyes locked on his unruly mane. "Are you planning on getting that cut, or are you going for the rugged, unkempt look?" Her grin was mischievous, and it made him nervous. When Hiyono was mischievous, he tended to make a first-rate fool of himself.

"If I said yes, you wouldn't believe me, and neither would I," he drawled, thanking his lucky stars that the words didn't tangle around his awkward tongue.

Her eyes twinkled. "Ah, I see. So not only is Narumi-san a sociopath, he's lazy, too."

Once again, his brow furrowed.

"I don't like that word."

With feigned innocence, she replied, "Which one? Lazy or sociopath?"

The crease in his forehead became more pronounced.

"Sociopath. I can't argue with lazy."

They reached their destination, and he set down his half of the burden almost in relief. Hiyono paused to take in her surroundings before she did the same, expression contented. Nearby, a group of children tossed a brightly colored beach ball amongst themselves, laughing uproariously each time it missed its target. A few people walked along the shore, and some swam in the ocean; others stretched out on towels to soak up sunrays.

She always did enjoy summer, and the beach was one of her favorite places to be.

"Sociopath is a bit harsh," she conceded, and, as an afterthought, removed her sunglasses from their perch atop her head and slid them onto his, successfully holding the hair out of his face. "There. Perfect," she said, and patted his cheek fondly while he gawped, perplexed. It took all of her willpower not to gush over how adorable he was at that moment, though she did keep the urge in check. "I can be your chaperone to the stylist if you'd like," she teased, flopping down in the sand. "Laziness _is_ a curable affliction if you treat it properly, Narumi-san."

With that, she began to empty the bags of her purchases, allowing him time to recover his clearly disheveled composure.

His mind was racing, and his heart thrashed about like a caged bird in the confines of his ribcage.

_How does she do this to me? It doesn't make any sense…she's just a girl…_

Oh, but she wasn't, and he knew she wasn't. The day Hiyono became 'just a girl' would be the day the world came to a screeching halt, and the sky rained fire.

He looked up.

The clouds continued their lazy journey to wherever it was clouds went, the waves continued to crash against the shore…and no fiery rain descended upon them.

He looked down.

Hiyono was busily preparing their lunch while she whistled a lilting tune reminiscent of days long past, and his expression grew soft. There had to be a reason he spent so much time with her, had to be a reason why her number was the first he dialed without hesitation, had to be a reason why her voice, her face, her presence made him happy, made him want to share his thoughts, to be a better person, a better brother, a better friend…

And did he want to be her friend? Did he want to be the person she turned to for advice in a tough pinch, the person who watched over her while she spread her wings in the world, drifted away from him into the arms of another?

Could he stick to the shadows while his heart traveled in the opposite direction, suffer in silence for the remainder of his days with the knowledge that he could have had it all, but he lost it because he was too afraid to act?

_No. No…I couldn't…I can't…_

He saw the anguish his sister tried to conceal on a daily basis, the love of her life vanished without a trace. He heard her quiet sobs at night, when the pain became unbearable, when she felt so hopeless, so helpless, turning up no clues, no trace of his whereabouts…

Ayumu wanted his brother to come home, if only for Madoka's sake.

Placed in her shoes, would he be able to hold out as long as her? Would he be able to look her in the eye if he allowed Hiyono to walk out of his life, when he could have prevented such an outcome?

_No…_

"Narumi-san?"

He swore under his breath. If she thought he was going crazy, she wouldn't be too far off the mark.

"Sorry. What?"

"Lunch is ready. Why don't you sit down, okay? I mean, if you want to eat standing up, I won't stop you, but the sand's nice and warm."

"Oh. Right."

He sat, and she passed him a paper plate loaded with food, most of which was alien. His face must have reflected his concern, because she gave him an expectant nudge.

"What are you waiting for? You won't melt, I promise."

As if to illustrate, she took a large bite of her sandwich, sighing delightedly.

After that, he had to eat, or she would accuse him of being a wimp, and he wasn't in the mood for that.

To his shock, the sandwich was good.

"See?" she could not resist saying. "I may not be a great cook, but I have great taste."

He snorted around a mouthful of turkey, a very undignified response, as he nearly choked. She laughed at him, of course, and he was positive that his face more resembled a beet now than anything.

For the remainder of the meal, they came to an unspoken agreement not to talk, and for that, he was grateful. He already felt stupid enough.

Later on, once their plates had been cleared—Hiyono ate the most, though Ayumu did go for seconds—they sat side by side, watching the ocean, both wanting to say something, but not willing to be the one to break the silence first.

Out of the two of them, Hiyono was the most impatient.

"So…did you have a specific reason for calling me, Ay—Narumi-san?"

She tried to cover up her slip, and he noticed.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" She inquired nervously, burying her fingers in the sand.

"You were going to say my name, weren't you…Hiyono."

She froze, heard her heart thrum in her ears.

_He…he called me…_

One of his browned hands reached out tentatively, the pads of his fingers brushing against her cheek, and she breathed a little deeper.

He made her look at him.

"Say it," he murmured through a throat gone dry, "Please. I…I want you to."

All she saw were his eyes. He had beautiful eyes.

"Ayumu."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

For a moment, neither moved, just stared at each other.

When he said her name, it was everything she dreamed it would be.

When she said his, he knew he had been baited.

Before he realized it, her face was much closer than it had been a second ago. He saw the dusting of tiny freckles across the bridge of her nose, could have counted each one of her long eyelashes…

She tangled her fingers in his hair; he pulled her onto his lap.

When they had to break apart for air, it was with reluctance.

She drew in a ragged breath, her face pleasantly flushed. His hormones were having a virtual hay day, rejoicing at their luck. He'd kept them chained for eighteen long years, and they had grown quite edgy, to say the least.

May as well indulge them.

He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she held a finger to his lips.

"Wait, Ayu…"

He experienced a brief moment of panic. What if she were about to tell him he should not have done what he did, that she only wanted him as a friend, and nothing more?

"Does this mean you want to be with me?"

He blinked.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You. Me. Together."

For some reason, his mind had gone completely blank.

"We are together," he said, puzzled.

She made a cute little noise that was a cross between a sigh and a snort.

"As in…" she hesitated to say the word, "lovers."

Oh. Well.

"I…" he trailed off when he saw the look on her face, the intensity behind her large, liquid eyes…

This was serious. His response here and now would determine the future. If he messed up, it would all be over.

He couldn't lose her. He refused to lose her. Not after he'd found her. He'd been searching for her all his life…

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, and kissed her nose.

He did not need to say more. She knew what he meant.

"Oh, good," she said calmly, and then flung herself at him, knocking them both backward in the sand, where they lie in each other's arms until the sun began to set.

The foundation of their kingdom had been laid. All that was left was to build on it.

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Very fluffy, I know, but I can't help it…I'm a sucker for fluff…XD I hope you guys enjoyed! 


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